- Level
- 2-Year Associate Degree
- CIP code
- 24.0101
- Duration
- 2 year associate degree
- Open intakes
-
Off-shoreJan 2027, Apr 2027, Jul 2027, Oct 2027
- Field
- Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
- Institution
- Private University
- Offer speed
- Superfast Offer Speed2–3 days
- Next deadline
- 2026-10-01
Program overview
A two year associate degree in arts, covering breadth requirements across humanities, social sciences, mathematics and English, designed either as a standalone credential or as transfer credit toward a degree.
Associate of Arts is the shortest route at UCW and the only one that is not a bachelor or master award, yet it is still named on the federal work permit list, which is unusual and worth understanding properly.
Associate of Arts is taught at University Canada West in downtown Vancouver. UCW is a PRIVATE degree granting institution, which matters: a private school produces post study work permit eligibility only for the specific degrees the federal government has named for it, and Associate of Arts falls under one of the four named UCW degrees, so Associate of Arts supports a Post-Graduation Work Permit of up to three years. UCW teaches in a hybrid format, and at least half of Associate of Arts must be completed in class in Canada for students locking in from September 2024. The study permit application for Associate of Arts also requires a British Columbia attestation letter.
Candidates for Associate of Arts present Grade 12 or Class 12 at 60 percent. The English requirement is IELTS 6.5 with 6.0 in writing and no minimum on the other three bands, and tuition for Associate of Arts is recorded at CAD 23,360 a year. There is no application fee, and no scholarship is recorded against Associate of Arts. Nine windows a cycle, from October through to the September starts. Apply Study Visa manages the Associate of Arts application, the deposit, the letter of acceptance and the Canadian study permit as one process.
What it costs per year · indicative
Living cost is an estimate; tuition is the institute's published international fee. We confirm exact, current figures before you pay anything.
Do you qualify?
These are the published minimums. Whether your profile fits — with your marks, gap and budget — is exactly what a free counsellor check confirms.
Admission requirements
Who can apply (guide for international students):
- Education: Grade 12 or Class 12 at 60 percent or above.
- English (meet any one): IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with 6.0 in writing and no minimum on reading, listening or speaking; TOEFL iBT 88 with at least 20 in every section; PTE Academic 61 overall with 60 in writing; or the Duolingo English Test at 115 with a writing score of 105.
- Application and deposit: There is NO application fee: the CAD 150 fee is credited against your tuition deposit. An initial deposit of CAD 8,800 is recorded.
- Scholarship: No scholarship is recorded against this programme. Budget the full tuition.
- Work permit: Associate of Arts is one of the four UCW degrees named on the federal post study work permit list, so it supports a permit of up to three years. Fully online study does NOT qualify and at least half must be completed in class in Canada. Since November 2024, bachelor and master graduates must also prove Canadian Language Benchmark 7 in all four skills when applying for the work permit itself. That is a separate test after graduation, not the score used for admission. Note that this is an associate degree rather than a bachelor or master, so confirm the field of study position in writing as well as the named list. No spousal open work permit arises, because that needs a master programme of 16 months or longer. A British Columbia attestation letter is required with the study permit application.
- Study permit: Apply Study Visa handles the British Columbia attestation letter, the study permit application and the biometrics appointment with you.
English requirements
Documents you'll need typical · we confirm yours
- Valid passport (6+ months validity)
- Class 10 & 12 marksheets and certificates
- English test scorecard (IELTS / PTE / TOEFL) or MOI certificate
- Statement of Purpose (SOP)
- Financial proof — bank statement / loan sanction + GIC
- Passport-size photographs
- Study-gap affidavit or work-experience letter (if applicable)
Getting documents right is the #1 reason applications succeed or get refused — our team checks every file before submission.
Career opportunities
Typical destinations for graduates:
- Transfer to a Degree: continuing into the Bachelor of Commerce or BA
- Administrative Officer: organisational roles
- Customer Operations Coordinator: service teams
- Marketing Assistant: commercial functions
- Office Manager: small and medium enterprises
- Degree Completion: at UCW or another institution
Reality check: an associate degree is a shorter and cheaper entry to Canada, but it is not a bachelor degree, so confirm both the work permit and the transfer position in writing before choosing it over the four year route.
About University Canada West
- Type
- University
- Ownership
- Private
- Rating
- ★ 4.3
- Reference No.
- O19377235822
